The Edmonton Rush soundly defeated the Vancouver Stealth 13-6 in their first scrimmage of the preseason.
The Rush were led by Mark Matthews, who scored a hat trick, while sophomore Robert Church added a pair of goals. But the player many people had their eyes on was the first overall pick in this year’s draft, Ben McIntosh.
The rookie forward did not disappoint, adding two goals of his own in his NLL debut. While it may not have been the best first night of any rookie this weekend (Miles Thompson got four goals and three assists for the Minnesota Swarm on Saturday night), it showed clearly that this young man is ready to step into the Rush offense and have an impact.
McIntosh will be joining a group that is already potent. Matthews, Curtis Knight and Zack Greer all scored 30 or more goals last year, while Church added 21. Cory Conway added 69 points and Jarrett Davis had 53. Additionally, Corey Small missed the 2014 season, but he was third on the Rush in scoring in 2013 with 64 points.
All in all, Edmonton’s offense looks stacked, giving McIntosh the opportunity to develop his skills in a support role. Having several threats on the floor alongside McIntosh should also open up shooting lanes for him which could make these two-goal nights a pretty common event.
